Recovering unpaid child support payments from delinquent parents is an ongoing struggle that Illinois faces. In fact, according to the Illinois Public Aid Code, the state is allowed to disclose the name and photograph of any parent who is in arrears of more than $5,000 in child support payments. Illinois Child Support Services has even gone as far as to compile a “most wanted list” of Illinois deadbeat parents who have failed to pay their child support payments. Yet, every year billions of dollars owed to Illinois children remain uncollected. Here is a look at how the state uses the legal system to recover unpaid child support payments.
Child Support Enforcement Measures
Non-custodial parents (parents without legal custody of the child) who do not pay court-mandated child support payments could be subject to certain enforcement measures. According to Illinois child support law, the Department of Health and Family Services (HFS) may do the following:
- Intercept state and federal tax refunds to make sure that current child support payments are paid and then apply the refunds to any payments that are in arrears;
- Request the Illinois Secretary of State to suspend a delinquent parent’s driver’s license;
- Revoke or deny an application for professional, occupational or recreational license on the grounds of non-payment of child support;
- Ensure that child support debts are listed on the debtor’s credit report;
- Submit the name of the debtor to the Secretary of State’s Office for passport denial until the full debt is paid;
- Place liens on real or personal property and seize assets for the repayment of the child support debt; or
- Criminally prosecute delinquent parents.
Although the HFS and the state work together to try and recover delinquent child support payments, it can take a long time. This is mainly due to the high volume of cases that they face.
Seek the Help of a Child Support Attorney
HFS may not able to recover child support payments in a timely manner or provide victims with the personalized help they deserve due to a disparaging ratio of staff to cases. In Illinois, any payment of child support that remains unpaid after 30 days is subject to nine percent interest every year. Thus, unpaid amounts of child support accrued over several years may be subject to additional interest.
If you are having a hard time collecting overdue child support payments from the non-custodial parent of your child in the Illinois area, contact one of our experienced DuPage County child support lawyers at Sullivan Taylor, Gumina & Palmer, P.C. today. We are knowledgeable about Illinois child support law and have a highly qualified team of attorneys and investigators who can help you recover the outstanding child support payments that are owed to you and your child.
